Designing and Managing Quality

in Accommodation

 Definition quality operation concept

 Quality concept
 Quality implementation in accommodation management
 Steps in managing quality (Service blue print)
 Four areas for quality implementation

1
References
 Bardi, J. A. (2011) Hotel Front Office Management.
5th Ed. USA: Wiley.

 Ford, R. C., Sturman, M. C. & Heaton, C. P. (2010)

Managing Quality Service in Hospitality Industry.
Delmar Cengage Learning.

2
What is Quality Operation?

 Jones (1996) states that quality operation in

accommodation is about:

1. Encouraged user satisfaction

2. Reputation of company is developed

3. Hazard-free accommodation provided for any need

4. Accommodation Manager must develop systems

which will provide consistency of the final product.

3
What is Quality Operation?

 In 1982 the Quality Assurance Committee of the

American Hotel & Motel Association defined quality
as “ the consistent delivery of individual standard”,
once standards- required level of performance –
have been defined, a hotel exhibits quality when
those standards are delivered on a consistent basis.

4
The concept of Quality for accommodation
 Quality for accommodation often refer to customer
expectation and perception. In order to achieved the
quality, accommodation manager should understand
the concept of quality that will effect the customer
perceptions, which include:

1. Price (room rate)

2. Function (fitness for use/ the building)

3. Reliability (quality standard)

4. Prestige (brand)
5
5 Steps in Managing Quality
Crosby (1996) proposed five steps in managing quality,
with an objective to achieve zero defect, all this steps will
require thorough research and documentation record. The
steps are:

1. Identify problem

2. Determine the consequences

3. Survey validity (gather feedback)

4. Propose alternative solution

5. Re-design the operation flow

6
1. Identify Problem
 The issue in implementing quality is when the
management fail to determine problem in the
organization. The believe that negative complain should
be compensate but not to be eliminate.

 Identification of problem can be gathered from the past

record (guest complaint) or even feedback from staffs
for possible problem.

7
 1. Identify Problem
 The best practice to identify problem is using the 5 M’s
model, which are:

1. Man (staff service problem)

2. Machinery (tools / equipment)

3. Method (process / service time)

4. Management (rules/regulation/ policy)

5. Money (value issues).

8
1. Identify Problem
 Why identify problem?

The objective of identifying problem is to determine:

o Organization performance (which might lead to company

threat)

o The need to change (better improvement)

o Grievances of the employees (problem due toe

unhappiness staffs which lead to poor service)

9
2. Determine Consequences
Nature of service industry is very inconsistence due to
changes of expectation, it is importance for
accommodation manager to determine consequences of
each problem in quality control practices.

To determine this consequences manager should go

through six steps (to confirm the error) and plan for proper
changes or rectification to achieve quality objectives.

10
 2. Determine Consequences
1. Determine consequences (impact from the error) example;
guest will not return back to hotel, negative WOM, guest ask for
compensation.

2. Establish the consequence cost (relate the impact to cost

factors (value)). Example; if guest vows that he will never return
back to the hotel and this guest usually has an average of 2
nights stay in hotel with ADR rate of RM 90 / night, therefore
the cost consequences will be: Room revenue loss of RM 180

11
2. Determine Consequences
3. Consequence probability; is to determine the probability of
each of the consequences note from the error, example of
guest not return to the hotel. Consequences probability will be
additional revenue cost that can be generated by the guest to
other departments in hotel. (F&B Revenue)

4. Problem frequency; used figure format to determine the

frequency of each problem occur by weekly, monthly or yearly
record. Try to solve the problem with high frequency record.

5. Annual costs; total cost incurred due to problem solution.

Quality objectives should shows yearly drop or Zero defect
(no cost)
12
3. Survey Validity
Survey validity can be done internally or externally; this survey is
to confirm the cause of the problem arise. Internal validity usually
will involved internal investigation such as via observation , Q & A
with staff or trace record.

Example: when guest complain on room cleanliness, it is a

management duty to confirm the validity of such issues in-order to
rectify the problem.

 Staff cleaning issues

 Room finishes issues

 Cleaning schedule issues

13
4. Propose alternative solution
Objective of proposing Alternative solution as part of managing
quality in accommodation management:

 It encourage for immediate solution when problem arise, as it

help to minimize the cost consequences.

 To ensure on guest satisfaction through meeting their

expectation.

However quality philosophy do not encourage zero defect as

solution is part of cost of quality (consequences of problem)
example:

 Reimbursement

 Compensation
14
5. Redesign the operation flow

Sometimes it will require a process of redesigning the operation

flow in order to achieve zero defect, this process will require a
thorough analysis for each process.

The whole process often address as ‘service blue print process’

15
Service blueprints
Service design often presented as a service blueprints.

 Service blueprints = service map; depicts a consumer

process and its relationship with the service process. In
service industry it often called as SOP (standard steps
require to deliver a good service)

 Service blueprints demonstrate in a number of stages

how management defines the service concept, allocates
resources and coordinates the function within the
operation to implement the service concept.

16
Steps to design Service blue print
1. Define the service specification
2. List out the service process step by step
3. Describe the detail of each service process step
4. Engage 6 M model by Ishikawa to determine quality
specification (man, money, machinery, material, method,
management)
5. Lists possible defect causes by 6 M
6. Propose solution to minimized defect
7. Set standard quality for total quality achievement.

It can be presented in chart format or scatter or flow chart or

check sheet

17
18
Effective Service Blue Print
• Service blue print design should be explicit and
measurable
• Explicit means:
1. Definition of each term used (par, pax, pair)
2. Definition in term of process (lapse, turn over, touch up,
turn down)
3. Definition in term of service specification (check in process
with reservation and without reservation)
• Measurable means:
1. Qualitative standard (specific)
2. Quantitative standard (numerical)

19
Measuring the effectiveness of service blue print

• Measuring the effectiveness of service blue print

can be define using quantitative/statistical
methods; such as:
1. Track record on customer feedback

2. List out problem/issues

3. Used statistical sampling

4. Count and analyse the solution methods

5. Identify the person in-charge to monitor the quality issues

(quality department)

6. Remedial action for unsatisfactory work

20
Where quality should be implement?

 The implementation of quality in accommodation

should focus on (4) main areas, Jones (1996). The
areas covers:

1. Managing the Building and its design

2. Managing Human Resource

3. Equipment and Material

4. Accommodation customer service

21
Building & Design
1. Quality implementation into building and design, with an
objective to achieve quality assurance that assists in
minimizing organization cost, through the implementation of
international quality standard.

For example:

 The use of green technology which encourage energy saving

and quality assurance.

 Using finishes material that are more durable and easy to

maintain

 Standardization of facilities design (Room layout & hotel layout

can be planned with quality assurance in mind)
22
Human Resource
2. Deming, E. (1933) believe that quality implementation in an
organization is highly depending on the staffs. Staff can be
selected purposefully and trained in according to inline with
the organization goals, good morale can be managed and a
well motivated, effective workforce maintained.

For example:

 The design of job specification & job description

 Policy and standard work operation

 Evaluations tools for improvement

23
Equipment and Materials
3. Jones, C. (1996) Good material management
system will assist in staffs productivity through cost
minimization and effective control management.

For example:

 Inventory system

 Effective purchasing system

 Cost control

24
Accommodation customer service
4. Accommodation customer service refer to good customer
interface techniques that will assist the achievement of
customer satisfaction through understanding the customer
perception of quality. (effective operations) such as:

 Sub - Departmental coordination (teamwork)

 Structure work tasks accordingly (specialize tasks)

 Good customer care service (customer focus practices)

 Engage with service technology to be in par with industry

latest trends.

 Product variation

25
Others Quality Model
The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Program was
developed om the late 1980s to recognize companies that exhibit
quality in their operations. Awards are made based on criteria that
have been developed and that are designed to improve:

 The delivery of value to customers

 Organisational effectiveness

 Organisational and personal learning

the criteria that have been developed for excellent in performance

service as a useful template against which any business can
measure itself as a first step towards improving quality, the Ritz-
Carlton is the only hospitality company that had been awarded a
26
Baldrige Award in year 1999.
Others Quality Model
Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Program used points
system to monitor and manage the quality in the organisation.

The points criteria consists of:

1. Leadership

2. Strategic planning

3. Customer and market focus

4. Measurement, analysis and knowledge management

5. Human Resource focus

6. Process management

7. Business result.

27
Summary
Quality is the consistent delivery of individual standard. A needs
analysis will determine whether or not quality problems exist. To
draw management’s attention to the cost of not doing things right
the first time, it may be necessary to calculate the cost of error. A
proactive approach to quality involves using the quality model as
a blueprint to implementing a quality program. The efforts of the
Ritz-Carlton, adapted to the particular industry segment of a
hotel, can be used as a guide to the improvement of quality
within the organisation.

28
Quality Tutorial

Choose one of the service industry; select one of the

service process involved in the accommodation
operation (front office / housekeeping).
Discuss how Quality can be implemented in the
operation process, used the service blue print concept
in slide 17 (present your work using drawing format)

29
QUALITY SERVICE PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYEES

30
QUALITY SERVICE PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYEES

31